I’ve been a bit silent on the blog which may strike some as odd since we very definitely have a lot to talk about. The original plan had been to post a kind of monthly update on how the move to Headingley was going. But nothing went smoothly. I found trying to write something positive when we were going through such turmoil was just too hard. So I shelved it for a bit. When we were about to open I thought about writing something, but again just couldn’t find the words. At three months I thought “this is the time for reflection, I’ll write that post now…” but just found myself staring at a blank screen for a very long time. In July, a year after the successful crowd funder, I was sure I’d be able to put into words the events of the previous six months. But it turns out I’ve got some kind of writers block. Trying to write about everything that has happened, and how we feel about it, is so huge, so momentous that at this point just seems impossible. So for the moment, if you’ll forgive me, I wont.
Instead I’m going to talk about sausages.
Rabbit Sausage, Celery, Tarragon, Caper & Lemon
Some years ago I worked in a team comprised mostly of Eastern European women. We all took it in turns to make staff tea. At times it all became a bit competitive. On one particular shift I made “bangers and mash”. Served with an onion gravy, of which I was extremely proud. I shouted everyone for food and as they entered one by one they asked “whats for tea” to which I proudly proclaimed “sausage, mash and gravy”
“Pfft” was the dismissive answer “the English can’t make sausages!” Well of course I was mightily offended, especially given the effort I’d put into that onion gravy. But looking back now I’ve got to admit, if these sausages and their supermarket brethren, were their only experience of the great British Banger then they were probably justified in their opinion. There really are some truly terrible mass-produced sausages out there. Seen as a cheap option to put on your breakfast plate. Full of things that are legally called “meat” but not from a cut that any of us would recognise. Sometimes though, you only realise how mediocre your sausage is when compared to a corker.
My mum used to buy great rings of Cumberland sausage from a local butcher. I was fascinated by the fat coils of meat, wrapped in paper, that would appear monthly in our fridge after a trip to a specific local butcher. I remember her taking her heavy kitchen scissors and snipping off a section to be reserved for Sunday breakfast. The remainder was browned in a large frying pan then chopped up to go in to a kind of hot pot affair. Layers of veg, sausage, and one slice of black pudding each! Also from the butcher. Topped with sliced potatoes. The herby, peppery flavouring of the sausage gave a wonderful flavour to thick gravy that bubbled over the sides of the large pot as it cooked. When it was ready she’d carefully cut us each a slice of the potato top, delicately fish out our piece of black pudding, and then serve up generous spoons of sausage, veg and gravy. I never did tell her that I’ve never been a fan of sliced potato on top of a hot pot. It dries and curls, becoming tough and chewy rather than the crispy golden layer you imagine will magically appear out of the oven. But hey, when someone puts so much love and labour in to a hot pot for you, don’t be so rude as to criticise the potatoes. You might find you get the smallest piece of black pudding as a result.
But enough about potatoes, this post is about sausages, and just how wonderful a sausage can be.
So What Makes A Good Sausage???
Stu and his Tuscan Sausages
At the Swine, Stu is chief sausage maker. He really is at his happiest when grinding up various different cuts of meat to create the right texture, balancing the fat with the lean. Deciding on levels of seasoning needed. Working out which herbs go with which spices. He has a little frying pan by his side ready to fry off a test patty at a moments notice. And when he thinks he’s reached sausage perfection he calls over whoever is lucky enough to be in the building and we all stand around in a huddle, breaking off hot fatty morsels from the test patty trying not to burn our hands or mouth in the rush to savour the latest of Stu’s creations. We debate over the coarseness of the sausage. Is there enough seasoning. Would a different herb be better. But we all know that Stu knows. And this is a great sausage. It doesn’t need tinkering with.
Rabbit Butchery – Sausages made from Belly, Loin & Shoulder
Stuart’s tastes are a little different to mine. I like a peppery sausage. It probably stems from the Scottish love of the haggis. Stu is a bit more subtle, preferring a herby sausage. A few weeks back he made a rabbit sausage. 80% wild rabbit / 20% pork. The pork added some fat to the sausage so that it was moist and juicy. Flavoured with sage and a light touch when it comes to pepper. He says it was based on a Lincolnshire sausage recipe. It was delicious. Served with a celery, caper, lemon and tarragon salad, we placed it on our starters where it could be enjoyed without sauces and potatoes to distract. It was glorious.
Since then he’s veered off into darker territories with his own Merguez, a mix of lamb and beef, a little bit lambs heart added for depth of flavour, shying away from the more traditional liver. Highly spiced with cumin, coriander, caraway, fennel, and paprika. “Like the flavours of the best Donner kebab” say Stu.
Merguez Sausage, Red Peppers, Chermoula, Buttermilk
But atlas, by the time you read this the Merguez will have finished and we’ll be on to the next sausage. I heard talk of an Tuscan style sausage. But who knows how the mood will take him.
This wasn’t a meant to be a post about moving but I suppose in a way it is. Because although sausages were always a thing at The Swine, the time it took to make a sausage meant they were always a special thing. A thing of pride but short lived. A “here until it’s gone” thing. But now sausages may be OUR thing. The thing we do, that marks us out from the rest. The place that makes it’s own sausages. And that’s not a bad way to be thought of.
I don’t want to scare anyone off, and I’ll hold off talking about it on here or elsewhere until closer to the time, but this week we’re also planning our menu for later in the year. Whether you wish to call it our December Menu, Christmas Menu, Festive Menu, or just a Winter Menu we’re very excited that not only will we have another menu to shout about. Not only that, but we now have the space if you want to share the love of a meal at the Swine with friends and family as, of course, this year, we’ll be serving tables of 6, 8, 10… and did you know we’ve got a private dining room. That’s another thing I need to tell you more about: who’d have thought we’d be offering a Festive Family Meal and Private Dining Experience in Leeds, in The Swine! Every moment I think of yet more to tell you…
Until next time
